My Sticky Alter-Ego...

Way back at the beginning of October,  I blogged about my fun girly art weekend at Julie's house.

Kelly had the idea to try making these cool packing tape self-sculptures.  We both got started but didn't finish the project.  Well. my head and torso have been haunting me ever since!

Today, my main goal was to start on the Christmas decorating before I went back to school Monday.  But, I got the bug to finish this project first! My family thought I had really lost it this time.  Kelly thought it would be fun to put a string of Christmas lights inside the form.  I think I will try that and my mom thinks I should put a santa hat and scarf on it for the holiday. Creepy?

I am just jazzed that I actually finished it and it does look somewhat human.  I did wrap parts of my body and then put the pieces together with more tape.  But look how much shorter my sculpture is than the real me!  So here's my shout out to Kelly, time to step up girlfriend!

Let's see your tape creation.  Check in tomorrow for my weekly journal theme challenge!

Monday, Monday, da da, it's a new theme!

I hope you're hearing the Mamas and Papas song right now because that's what I was thinking when I wrote the title! OK my little band of faithful journalers, I know that Peggy and Ophelia have posted their words to live by on their blogs. Thanks for sharing! 

This week we are all going to be busy getting ready for Thanksgiving and family visits. Let's try to carve out some time ( holiday pun!) to work in our journals.  In the midst of being bombarded with bad news and uncertainty we can all take a little time to COUNT OUR BLESSINGS!

Write or draw or collage the things that you love in your life! What is your cup overflowing with?

What do your family and friends bring to your life? What keeps you going during tough times?

What everyday experiences fill you with joy when you stop and pay attention?

I hope you all have a fabulous holiday weekend and enjoy the people you are celebrating with.

I am looking forward to sharing our collective gratitude lists and compelling journal pages. 

Words To Live By...share your pages!

Here are the pages I did for Monday's challenge.  I hope we have more people share their pages and words this week. Peggy finished her page right away and posted it on her blog!  BTW the words on the Buddah say "create art" not EATS art!

Click on the pages to see the details. 

Day of Words

I just learned from Diane's blog that Nov. 19th has been declared a day of words and bloggers are challenged to post a poem today.  So, in honor of my recent 24th anniversary I  will post a love poem.

                                       Love's Philosophy

The fountains mingle with the river

     and the rivers with the Ocean,

The winds of heaven mix  for ever

    With a sweet emotion;

Nothing in the world is single;

    All things by a law divine

In one spirit meet and mingle,

      Why not I with thine?-

See the mountains kiss high Heaven

     And the waves clasp one another;

No sister-flower would be forgiven

    If it disdained its brother;

And the sunlight  clasps the earth

      And the moonbeams kiss the sea:

What is all this sweet work worth

    If thou kiss not me?

                    Percy Bysshe Shelley

It's Monday and the New Journal Theme is...

Happy Monday!  Did you do a page on the Season of Change page? Peggy, Cathie, and RoseMary have posted their pages on their blogs! Go check it out and please share yours as well!  This week I thought it would be fun to think about  WORDS TO LIVE BY.  What words inspire you? It could be a favorite quote, poem, book, or the lyrics of a song.  Journal about the words that mean something to you.  I'll be thinking about which words I will journal. I love using quotes and I often  use song lyrics to express themes in altered books round robins.  But, when I think about words I live by I hear my mother's voice and my teacher's voices.  Simple lessons we heard over and over as children do seem to be the ones that I still value as  an adult.    I can't wait to learn what words you live by!

CH Ch Ch Changes...

Here are my journal pages on the first theme- Seasons of Change. I printed photos on acetate, tissue, vellum, and canvas.  I wrote some of the lyrics from Landslide by Stevie Nicks, even though she was in her early twenties when she wrote it I think they really reflect where I am now.  How are your pages coming along? Please share a comment and link or e-mail me a photo to post! If you click on the pages you can really see the details!

First Journal Theme...Here We Go!!!

Greeting fellow journalers! The very first weekly theme is SEASONS OF CHANGE, feel free to take this theme in any direction you wish.  You could journal about the season of the year and what it means to you, or the season of your life you find yourself in now, or you could explore the idea of change.  It will be interesting to see how many different interpretations we have when we share.  I  will start a blogroll for this challenge so we an click on each other's blogs when you leave a comment and want to share your journal pages.  I look forward to learning more about what my artistic posse has on their minds.

Art Journal Challenge!

Here are 2 sizes of wirebound journals and I like to art up the covers!  

1 for the money, 2 for the show, 3 to GET READY!

I'm so excited to officially announce our weekly visual art journal challenge. I hope we will have lots of people join us for inspiration and sharing! We are starting with a cozy group of 6 and hope you will want to jump in anytime!  Here is the master plan.

1. Get a journal with sturdy pages that you will love to work in.

     I like the wirebound ones that lay flat and can handle 3-D embellishments.

2.  Check here every Monday for the week's theme.

3.  Interpret the theme any way you feel inspired to- the sky's the limit!

4.  Share with the group by posting a comment and linking to your blog  to share a photo.  If you don't have a blog you can e-mail me a scan and I'll post it here.

5. You can share anytime after the theme is announced, but we'll try to shoot for Sunday as sharing day.

6.  Give each other friendly, supportive feedback !

7.  Check in every Monday for the new theme to jump start your muse!

Run out and get a journal and we'll post  the first theme  Monday.  If you have never done art journaling  before, here is a great tutorial from Teesha Moore.  She has fantastic ideas to get over the intimidation of the blank pages.  

Let's start a weekly Art Journal Challenge...

I  was inspired by Ophelia's blog to start a weekly art journal challenge and share it on my blog.

If anyone wants to join in I would love you to share comments and photos of your journal pages.

My goal is to challenge myself to explore more meaningful topics in my visual journal.  Our art journals should be a safe place to try new techniques and express feelings and ideas. The results are not to be viewed as finished art pieces but as works in progress and visual pathways of our journey through life.  I tend to stick with the same themes, colors, and have totally stayed away from  any dark or negative topics.  I want to be able to express the spectrum of emotions and 

a fuller range of thoughts and ideas.  Because I am uncomfortable doing this verbally, I don't want to continue to ignore or push away the less positive issues I deal with.  If I work on a visual expression of both positive and negative aspects of daily life I think it will enrich me as an artist and as a person.   I will post the first theme Monday and we can see who is  interested in  joining the challenge.  We can work on our journals during the week and share comments and photos the following Monday.  No stress, just sharing our interpretations on a common theme.  Let me know if you want to join in!